Branagh, the middle of three children, was born and raised in Belfast, the son of working-class Protestant parents Frances (née Harper) and William Branagh, a plumber and joiner who ran a company that specialised in fitting partitions and suspended ceilings.[3] At the age of nine, he relocated with his family to Reading, Berkshire, to escape the Troubles.[4][5] He was educated at Grove Primary School,[6] Whiteknights Primary School, then Meadway School, Tilehurst,[7][8] where he appeared in school productions such as Toad of Toad Hall[9] and Oh, What a Lovely War!.[10] At school, he acquired an English accent to avoid bullying. On his identity today he has said, "I feel Irish. I don't think you can take Belfast out of the boy," and he attributes his "love of words" to his Irish heritage.[11][12] He is known to have attended the (amateur) Reading Cine & Video Society (now called Reading Film & Video Makers)[13] as a member and was a keen member of Progress Theatre for whom he is now the patron.

Branagh achieved some early measure of success in his native Northern Ireland for his role as Billy, the title character in the BBC's Play for Today[15] trilogy known as the Billy Plays (1982–84), written by Graham Reid and set in Belfast.

In July 2013 he co-directed Macbeth at Manchester International Festival with Rob Ashford. With Branagh in the title role, Alex Kingston played Lady Macbeth and Ray Fearon featured as Macduff. The final performance of the completely sold out run was broadcast to cinemas on 20 July as part of National Theatre Live.[22] He repeated his performance and directorial duties opposite Ashford and Kingston when the production moved to New York City's Park Avenue Armory in June 2014. The production marked his New York stage debut.[23]

In April 2015, Branagh announced his formation of Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. With the company, he announced he will present a season of five shows at London's Garrick Theatre from October 2015 - November 2016. The shows will be The Winter's Tale, Harlequinade/All On Her Own (double bill), The Painkiller, Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer. Branagh will direct all but the Entertainer, in which he will star. Branagh will also star in The Winter's Tale, Harlequinade and The Painkiller. Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company also includes Dame Judi Dench (The Winter's Tale), Zoë Wanamaker CBE (Harlequinade/All On Her Own), Sir Derek Jacobi, Lily James and Richard Madden (Romeo and Juliet) and Rob Brydon MBE (The Painkiller). Kenneth Branagh Season

From 1989 to 1996, Branagh mostly directed his own films, including Peter's Friends with an outstanding cast including former schoolmates Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Tony Slattery and Stephen Fry, as well as Imelda Staunton and Rita Rudner; but the commercial and critical failure of Love's Labour's Lost ended his directorial career for a time. In 2006, the same year that Branagh's film version of As You Like It was released, he also directed a film version of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, which has yet to be released in the U.S., where it has not even been shown on cable television or released on a Region 1 DVD. Branagh has also directed the thriller Sleuth (2007), a remake of the 1972 film. At a film promotion for Valkyrie in 2008, Branagh confirmed that he would be directing Thor, a film based on the Marvel superhero.[24]Thor, Branagh's return to big-budget directing, was released on 6 May 2011.[25] In 2011, Branagh portrayed Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn. Branagh directed Disney's live-action version of Cinderella (2015).[26]

From 1989 to 1995, Branagh was married to actress Emma Thompson, with whom he starred in Fortunes of War among other projects. During their marriage, and while directing and co-starring with Helena Bonham-Carter in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, he began an affair with her. After Thompson divorced him, he and Bonham-Carter were in a well-publicised relationship for several years. In 2003, he married film art director Lindsay Brunnock,[38] whom he met during the shooting of Shackleton.[39]

His distant relative Glenn Branagh, who was a UYM member, died in 2001 while handling a pipe bomb.[40][relevant?– discuss]

Branagh has been nominated for five Academy Awards, the first man to be nominated for five different categories. His first two nominations were for Henry V (one each for directing and acting). He also received similar BAFTA Award nominations for his film work, winning one for his direction. His first BAFTA TV award came in April 2009, for Best Drama Series (Wallander). Branagh's two other Academy Award nominations were for the 1992 film short subjectSwan Song and for his work on the screenplay of Hamlet in 1996. His most recent is for his portrayal of Lord Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn. Branagh has co-starred several times with actress Emma Thompson, to whom he was married from 1989 to 1995. They appeared together in Look Back in Anger, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Dead Again, and Peter's Friends. More recently, they both appeared in The Boat That Rocked, though with no shared scenes.

1Although Doyle has composed music for many of Branagh's films, he is listed in the above table for his appearances as an actor.2Although Yuill has also composed music for multiple Branagh films, he is listed in the above table for his appearances as an actor.